The Works of Lord Byron Volume VI Part 54

Cx.x.xVI.

A vulgar tempest 't were to a typhoon To match a common fury with her rage, And yet she did not want to reach the moon,[309]

Like moderate Hotspur on the immortal page;[fr]

Her anger pitched into a lower tune, Perhaps the fault of her soft s.e.x and age-- Her wish was but to "kill, kill, kill," like Lear's,[310]

And then her thirst of blood was quenched in tears.

Cx.x.xVII.

A storm it raged, and like the storm it pa.s.sed, Pa.s.sed without words--in fact she could not speak; And then her s.e.x's shame[311] broke in at last, A sentiment till then in her but weak, But now it flowed in natural and fast, As water through an unexpected leak; For she felt humbled--and humiliation Is sometimes good for people in her station.

Cx.x.xVIII.

It teaches them that they are flesh and blood, It also gently hints to them that others, Although of clay, are yet not quite of mud; That urns and pipkins are but fragile brothers, And works of the same pottery, bad or good, Though not all born of the same sires and mothers; It teaches--Heaven knows only what it teaches, But sometimes it may mend, and often reaches.

Cx.x.xIX.

Her first thought was to cut off Juan's head; Her second, to cut only his--acquaintance; Her third, to ask him where he had been bred; Her fourth, to rally him into repentance; Her fifth, to call her maids and go to bed; Her sixth, to stab herself; her seventh, to sentence The lash to Baba:--but her grand resource Was to sit down again, and cry--of course.

CXL.

She thought to stab herself, but then she had The dagger close at hand, which made it awkward; For Eastern stays are little made to pad, So that a poniard pierces if 't is struck hard: She thought of killing Juan--but, poor lad!

Though he deserved it well for being so backward, The cutting off his head was not the art Most likely to attain her aim--his heart.

CXLI.

Juan was moved: he had made up his mind To be impaled, or quartered as a dish For dogs, or to be slain with pangs refined, Or thrown to lions, or made baits for fish, And thus heroically stood resigned, Rather than sin--except to his own wish: But all his great preparatives for dying Dissolved like snow before a woman crying.

CXLII.

As through his palms Bob Acres' valour oozed,[312]

So Juan's virtue ebbed, I know not how; And first he wondered why he had refused; And then, if matters could be made up now; And next his savage virtue he accused, Just as a friar may accuse his vow, Or as a dame repents her of her oath, Which mostly ends in some small breach of both.

CXLIII.

So he began to stammer some excuses; But words are not enough in such a matter, Although you borrowed all that e'er the Muses Have sung, or even a Dandy's dandiest chatter, Or all the figures Castlereagh abuses;[fs]

Just as a languid smile began to flatter His peace was making, but, before he ventured Further, old Baba rather briskly entered.

CXLIV.

"Bride of the Sun! and Sister of the Moon!"

('T was thus he spake,) "and Empress of the Earth!

Whose frown would put the spheres all out of tune, Whose smile makes all the planets dance with mirth, Your slave brings tidings--he hopes not too soon-- Which your sublime attention may be worth: The Sun himself has sent me like a ray, To hint that he is coming up this way."

CXLV.

"Is it," exclaimed Gulbeyaz, "as you say?

I wish to heaven he would not s.h.i.+ne till morning!

But bid my women form the milky way.

Hence, my old comet! give the stars due warning--[ft]

And, Christian! mingle with them as you may, And as you'd have me pardon your past scorning-----"

Here they were interrupted by a humming Sound, and then by a cry, "The Sultan's coming!"

CXLVI.

First came her damsels, a decorous file, And then his Highness' eunuchs, black and white; The train might reach a quarter of a mile: His Majesty was always so polite As to announce his visits a long while Before he came, especially at night; For being the last wife of the Emperor, She was of course the favourite of the four.

CXLVII.

His Highness was a man of solemn port, Shawled to the nose, and bearded to the eyes, s.n.a.t.c.hed from a prison to preside at court, His lately bowstrung brother caused his rise; He was as good a sovereign of the sort As any mentioned in the histories Of Cantemir, or Knolles, where few s.h.i.+ne[fu]

Save Solyman, the glory of their line.[313]

CXLVIII.

He went to mosque in state, and said his prayers With more than "Oriental scrupulosity;"[314]

He left to his vizier all state affairs, And showed but little royal curiosity: I know not if he had domestic cares-- No process proved connubial animosity; Four wives and twice five hundred maids, unseen, Were ruled as calmly as a Christian queen.[fv]

CXLIX.

If now and then there happened a slight slip, Little was heard of criminal or crime; The story scarcely pa.s.sed a single lip-- The sack and sea had settled all in time, From which the secret n.o.body could rip: The public knew no more than does this rhyme; No scandals made the daily press a curse-- Morals were better, and the fish no worse.[fw]

CL.

He saw with his own eyes the moon was round, Was also certain that the earth was square, Because he had journeyed fifty miles, and found No sign that it was circular anywhere;[fx]

His empire also was without a bound: 'T is true, a little troubled here and there, By rebel pachas, and encroaching giaours, But then they never came to "the Seven Towers;"[315]

CLI.

Except in shape of envoys, who were sent To lodge there when a war broke out, according To the true law of nations, which ne'er meant Those scoundrels, who have never had a sword in Their dirty diplomatic hands, to vent Their spleen in making strife, and safely wording Their lies, yclept despatches, without risk or The singeing of a single inky whisker.

CLII.

He had fifty daughters and four dozen sons, Of whom all such as came of age were stowed, The former in a palace, where like nuns They lived till some Bashaw was sent abroad, When she, whose turn it was, was wed at once, Sometimes at six years old[316]--though this seems odd, 'T is true; the reason is, that the Bashaw Must make a present to his sire-in-law.

CLIII.

His sons were kept in prison, till they grew Of years to fill a bowstring or the throne, One or the other, but which of the two Could yet be known unto the fates alone; Meantime the education they went through Was princely, as the proofs have always shown; So that the heir apparent still was found No less deserving to be hanged than crowned.

CLIV.

His Majesty saluted his fourth spouse With all the ceremonies of his rank, Who cleared her sparkling eyes and smoothed her brows, As suits a matron who has played a prank; These must seem doubly mindful of their vows, To save the credit of their breaking bank: To no men are such cordial greetings given As those whose wives have made them fit for Heaven.[317]

CLV.

His Highness cast around his great black eyes, And looking, as he always looked, perceived Juan amongst the damsels in disguise, At which he seemed no whit surprised nor grieved, But just remarked with air sedate and wise,[fy]

While still a fluttering sigh Gulbeyaz heaved, "I see you've bought another girl; 't is pity That a mere Christian should be half so pretty."

CLVI.

This compliment, which drew all eyes upon The new-bought virgin, made her blush and shake.